04.11.

1956: Soviet Tanks Enter Budapest

Story Highlights

historical event: The tanks lined up beside the Danube, securing bridgeheads, which effectively divided the city into two parts. All this happened before a single bullet had been fired. The first fighting broke out around 4:25 in the morning during the same day. The sound of Soviet tank- and artillery-fire could soon be heard throughout the city.

On this day in 1956, Soviet tanks entered the Hungarian capital of Budapest, so as to put down the revolution that had broken out there. The tanks had already surrounded the city the day before, and on this day at around 3:00 in the morning, they entered the city simultaneously from the north and south. The tanks lined up beside the Danube, securing bridgeheads, which effectively divided the city into two parts. All this happened before a single bullet had been fired. The first fighting broke out around 4:25 in the morning during the same day. The sound of Soviet tank- and artillery-fire could soon be heard throughout the city.

The commander of the Soviet operations was Marshal Ivan Konev. He achieved fame during World War II, and was declared a Hero of the Soviet Union twice. Marshal Konev was at that time the supreme commander of the armed forces of the Warsaw Pact. At that time, Marshal Georgy Zhukov was the Soviet defense minister (and also a triple Hero of the Soviet Union – a month later he would be given the award the fourth and final time). The Warsaw Pact forces in Hungary had around 17 divisions, which represented an imposing force – it had little difficulty in putting down the revolution.